


Life Always Comes Back To Bite You In The End

by prpldragon50



Series: Life [2]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Character Pasts, F/M, Family Secrets, Gen, Near Death Experiences, Other, Pain & Angst, Physical & Psychological Torture, Romance, Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-14 00:22:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9148567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prpldragon50/pseuds/prpldragon50
Summary: As Maggie decides to stay in Hawaii and accept a place on the task force, her past comes roaring back to bite her in the ass.A continuation of 'Live Doesn't Always Go As Planned' as Maggie and Steve try to figure out what they have between them and the rest of the team adjust to having a former undercover operative on the task force.More ramblings of my over-inspired mind.I do not own anything Hawaii Fine-0, just very inspired by the stories and characters.  No copyright infringement intended.





	1. Prologue

** Prologue **

Watching him pull into her drive, she smiles at the memories and walks out to the truck. "Good morning." She says, opening the passenger door.

"Morning. You know where we're going, right? This truck is gonna be a rough ride getting there." He hints.

She stops before she gets the seatbelt fastened. "No problem. Park a little closer to the fence and ride shotgun." She opens her door.

"You know I don't do shotgun."

"YOU know my rules about my car." She sits back, staring at him.

"Fine, get in, shut the door, put on your seatbelt." He pouts as he puts the truck in gear and backs out.

She smiles, looking out the window and wanders back into her memories.

She had come to this island on an undercover op…and to visit her brother. He'd moved here when he was twenty and had built a great life. It had been over fifteen years since the last time she saw him and she was so happy to get that chance. Then he'd been killed. It had been her fault or so she believed. She'd come to broker diamonds in hopes of tracking them to prove they were being used to finance a turf war between two major crime families. She had almost lost it when he died. She'd shut down and Steve helped to ground her and bring her back from the brink. She sought out mental help and over time, she was able to function again but by that time, she was hooked. She couldn't admit it, but she never wanted to leave this island.

A couple of cases and come up that they needed her help, and she'd gladly given it and brought down a child sex network and kept two young children from being sold into slavery for a couple of hits. But she still hadn't been ready to admit how much she wanted to stay and build a life here. She'd all but made her mind up that she was going back to DC and never see them, or him, again. Then the most incredible thing had happened. Just when she'd decided to inform Steve of her decision, the offer to stay and become a permanent part of the task force came from the most unlikely of people.

**_Danny._ **

They'd been gathered at Kamekona's and she'd placed the badge on the table between her and Steve, waiting for him to take it back, when Danny had told her she'd already started building a new life and that the job was hers, if she wanted it. She'd been so overwhelmed she'd almost broken down right then and there. He was the last person she ever thought would be offering her a job on the task force. But he'd been genuine in his offer and she'd changed her mind. He was right. She had built a new life over the last three months and she couldn't walk away from this one. It was the one she wanted…the one she wants. He had placed the shield back in her hand and when she placed on the waist of her jeans, everyone had cheered and Kono had given her a huge bear hug, not wanting the let her go. She'd managed to keep her emotions in check for the rest of the afternoon but as soon as she walked in her door, she broke down and cried with relief. She had never felt she belonged anywhere as much as she did here.

The last few weeks had flown by. She'd had no time to herself and certainly no time to spend with Steve, other than work. They'd dropped her right into the fray and in the beginning, she'd almost panicked and took off, but pulled herself together, leaned on the team for help and support and found them amazing, especially Jerry. It didn't take long for her to learn to depend on them when needed and start working seamlessly within the team. Though she spent a great deal of her time at HQ working the table and gathering intel, she didn't mind anymore. She knew Steve was easing her into the true fieldwork and she was glad, after her first two cases, and she found herself appreciating how he was looking out for her.

Not that the time had been all work. Late one night, they all got talking about the injuries to Steve's face from that crazy scene on the beach and they couldn't deny it any longer. The truth came out that she'd gotten drunk and took him down, in a manner of speaking. There had been plenty of laughter and good-natured ribbing about the big, bad SEAL getting beat up by a girl. The next day, she walks in to find out that she and Steve had been signed up to do a sparring exercise for the academy cadets. She's never found out who signed them up but she suspects it was Danny. He found it absolutely hilarious that she'd left Steve bruised and beaten and when they'd found out about the head injury, he'd almost fallen out of his chair, rolling on the floor in laughter.

She'd been a little distracted during the exercise as she thought she heard Tyler's voice and laughter again, but had managed to hold her own and had Steve down on the mats. Just as they were about to call her the winner, though, the alarm had gone off and they found themselves in the middle of an attempted takeover of the Palace. She and Steve had found themselves trapped in the basement, in of all places, a broom closet. A delivery had just been made so it had been full of boxes and a tight squeeze. She found herself face to face with him and NOT thinking about the danger they're in. Neither had he been. She felt that. Before anything could happen, they'd been interrupted by the perpetrators and both of them had moved as one and taken them. She had been riding an adrenaline high after that, knowing how they'd worked together and it had felt so right.

That had been a week ago and she'd been going crazy thinking about that moment in the closet. She was sure he was gonna ask her out tonight. He'd told her he had something to ask her when he'd called about picking her up this morning to go to this crime scene. So here she was, sitting in his truck as they made their way up the highway, listening to truck struggle up the mountain.

 

**A/N: Here is the next chapter in the 'Life' series. Picks up where 'Life Doesn't Always Go as Planned' leaves off. Not necessary to read it but it will explain how the relationship between Maggie and Steve began. Hope you enjoy this continuation.**

**A/N2: Whump as promised and starts right away. Again, I am not a medical, law enforcement or 'interrogation' expert.**


	2. Doherty:  Revenge Is Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A criminal from Maggie's past makes himself known and his intentions are not of the pleasant variety.

** Doherty: Revenge is Sweet **

"We should've taken my car." She looks at him as the truck struggles up the hill.

"Yeah, well, we would've if you'd let me drive. Until then, we take the truck." He growls, pushing the accelerator all the way to the floor.

She shakes her head, turning her head and looking out the passenger window. "You are the most stubborn man on the planet."

He looks at her, a frown on his face. "If you'd just let me drive your car, we wouldn't be having this conversation. We'd be there."

"Sorry, but no one drives my car but me. I told you that. I've put too much time and money into it to allow someone else to total it."

"It's such a sweet ride, though. How can you NOT let me drive it?"

"Self-preservation, Steve. I want my car to live. Besides, the color is not common. It's taken me three weeks to find a body shop that has the color in stock. Otherwise, they have to order it from the mainland and takes an extra week. You know I won't like to be without my car for that long." She turns back to him, blinking her eyes as the sun shines in them. They crest the top of the hill and the truck lurches forward. He eases off the gas, glancing over at her.

"You've been listening to Danny too much. His car hasn't been in the shop that many times." He shakes his head and looks at the road.

"Oh really? How about four times in the last 6 months?" She reaches up and rubs her eyes.

"Hey, two of those I had nothing to do with it." He defends himself. He blinks a few times trying to clear his eyes.

Maggie rubs her eyes again. "Steve, I don't feel so good." She shakes her head trying to clear it. Turning her head, she sees him doing the same thing. She reaches out for his arm but drops it, feeling as though it weighs a ton. "Steve…" her head falls to her chest.

"Maggie," he reaches out to her, blinking fast to try to stay alert. He can't keep his eyes open long and tries to take his foot off the gas, but unconsciousness takes him quickly. His hand falls away from the wheel as the truck weaves back and forth across the road, finally crossing the center, over the shoulder and down the embankment. Steve and Maggie are tossed about as the truck bounces down the hill. The truck hits a large boulder causing it to roll and land on the driver's side.

"Where are they?" A voice yells from above.

"About halfway down, boss. The truck hit a rock and rolled."

"Get down there…NOW. I need them both alive." He glances down the hill.

"You got it, boss. On our way now." His first lieutenant yells as he follows the rest of his crew down the hill. Doherty stands at the top, making sure nobody else stops.

Edward, the 1st Lt., gets to the truck first and looks in the windshield. Unable to see clearly, he carefully knocks out the glass. "Get over here. We need to get them out now!" He yells to the rest of the crew.

Maggie is hanging by the seatbelt around her waist, the shoulder belt not locking fast enough to keep her from sliding out. She has a large gash on her forehead and smaller cuts and scrapes on the rest of her face and down her arms. A small trickle of blood runs down her cheek from her nose. He reaches in, his fingers on her neck to check her pulse. Satisfied with her strong heartbeat, he turns his attention to Steve. He has the same cuts and scrapes on his face and arms; his nose is bleeding heavier from slamming into the steering wheel. He feels the SEAL's neck and gets a strong pulse. Grabbing his phone, he dials his boss. "Boss, they both have steady and strong heartbeats. As soon as the rest of the crew gets down here, we can get them out and loaded into the van."

"Let me know when you're on the way up." Doherty motions to the driver of the van to move as close to the edge as he can. Maneuvering the van close to the edge, no one driving by will be able to see anything happening. He looks over the edge, impatient to be on his way and put the rest of his plan into motion.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Consciousness comes at her slowly and painfully. It plays at the edges of her mind, teasing her sanity and threatening her beliefs. She tries to get through the fog but the pain fills her mind. Believing to still be in the truck, she tries to move but can't.

_Am I paralyzed? Is it that bad? Why can't I move?_

What seems to come from a distance, she hears the screaming of someone in tremendous pain. Trying to focus on that sound, she climbs back to reality at a snail's pace, unable to grasp onto anything. Listening to the screaming, she tries to discern where, and who, it's coming from. Reaching through the fog, she remembers what was happening before she lost consciousness: riding in the truck with Steve to a crime scene.

_Steve! Fuck, that's him screaming! I need to get to him!_

She tries to move again and is still unable to at all. Starting to panic, she fights her way back to full consciousness, swimming through the fog and pushing back the pain. As she comes closer to the surface, she realizes she is sitting up, but not in the truck. As reality settles in more, she finds herself unable to move her arms or legs, as if they're bound. She tries to move her head and is able to a small amount. She finds that a mistake, though, as a sharp, piercing pain shoots from just over her eye through her head and down her spine. Gasping, she stops moving to wait for the pain to subside enough for her to take stock of herself.

She can hear the screams clearer now and knows she needs to get to him and see how badly he's hurt. Almost feeling back to full consciousness, she does a mental inventory. Obviously, she hit her head hard, from the pain still pulsating down her spine. Pinpricks all over her face and arms tell her there was some kind of broken glass raining down on her. Trying to move her hips, she can tell the seat belt did its job, yet the bruises she's going to have from it will be around for a while. Otherwise, she just aches from head to toe.

The screaming gets louder and then suddenly stops short. Terrified that he's in worse shape than she is, she painfully lifts her head, opening heavy lids. Slamming her eyes shut as the light increases the pain in her head; a loud groan escapes her swollen, bruised lips. She tries again, her concern for Steve overriding any caution and she sees a blurry form in front of her. Blinking fast to try to clear her vision, she hears a voice that freezes the blood in her veins.

"My, my, look who's decided to join us?" The form comes closer and she feels a hand under her chin, thumb and forefinger on each side of her jaw. Raising her head to look into her eyes, he smiles as he sees the recognition. "How are you, my dear? Never thought you'd see me again, did you?" He chuckles evilly at her.

Her eyes open big at the sound of his voice and she looks into his eyes. "What the fuck are you doing here?" She grumbles out, her swollen mouth making it hard to speak clearly.

"Oh, you know why I'm here. You know what I want. It's what I wanted twenty years ago." He shakes her head, causing another loud groan to come from her. Pushing her head away from him, he steps away so she can see her partner.

Frowning, she lifts her head back up to see Steve sitting in a similar chair, his hair plastered to his head, his face red and covered in sweat. Breathing heavy, he looks over to her, his eyes showing only concern for her. His torso is bare, she can already see bruises forming from being beaten, and she sees a branding iron in the hands of a large, redheaded brute standing next to him. Squinting at him, she can see several burns on his chest and deduces that's the screaming that she heard. "Steve?" She croaks out.

"M' fine," he pants, still catching his breath. "What about you?"

_He's being tortured, burned and beat, and he's asking how I am?_

"Don't worry about me." She mumbles, her head pounding and the radiating pain down her back causing her to gasp.

"Awww, you two are so sweet, worrying about each other but I don't have time for that. You know what I want, Eileen, oh forgive me, Special Agent Finneran. Where is he?" Doherty demands, leaning over so he's only inches from her face. "I know you know where he is."

"I don't, Ian. I have no idea." She insists.

"You really expect me to believe that? He's over nineteen now so he is free to leave and you want me to believe you haven't searched for him? All the contacts you have in the government; all the people you know and you haven't asked a single one of them where he is? Your own son?" He screams at her. She can feel the spittle hitting her face as he yells at her.

"I haven't." She closes her eyes, her head feeling ready to split open. "I don't even think he knows I'm alive and I'm not going to put him in any danger by finding him. I have no idea where he is." She opens her eyes to see his face filling her sight.

"I don't believe you." He sneers. Standing back up, he signals to the thug standing next to Steve. He puts the iron in his hand back into the fire and grabs another from it. She sees the end glowing red-hot and immediately understands what his intentions are.

"No, wait, Ian. I don't know where he is! I swear! I have no idea where my son is!" She begs him. He shakes his head at her and nods to Edward.

She watches as he approaches Steve, who looks at him with pure hatred and a little bit of fear, and brings the brand up to his chest.

"Dammit, Ian, I'm telling you the truth! I don't know! Please, stop!?" She screams, her head pounding from the effort and the pain shooting down her back she can no longer ignore. Screaming out the pain, she lets her head fall back against the back of the chair. Looking out through half-open eyes, she watches in horror as Edward presses the brand against Steve's chest, moving slowly and deliberately, pressing hard as Steve lets out a ear-piercing scream of pain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whump as promised. Hope it's not too much. But seriously, can there ever be TOO much? Let me know. I appreciate any and all feedback. (Slinks away until the next time)


	3. Doherty:  Torture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How much can Steve and Maggie take? Will they both survive?

** Doherty: Torture **

Ian leans over and whispers in her ear, "Besides the searing pain of the red-hot brand, it's placed right over a pressure point, increasing the pain tenfold. I don't know how much more your boss can take." He snickers.

"You son-of-a-bitch! Leave him alone!" She screams, forgetting how much pain it causes. "He has nothing to do with this! It's between you and me." She hisses out.

"On the contrary, my dear. He has everything to do with this. How else am I going to get you to tell me the truth, huh?" He glances over as Edward picks up another brand and presses it against the tender area just under the ribcage. The sound that comes from Steve's mouth is inhuman, almost, as it fades away to nothing. She struggles to get free, disregarding the pain that goes through her entire body. Ian watches her struggle and slaps her across the face. "Tell me what I want to know and this will stop."

She takes a deep breath, waiting for the pain to subside a bit. She looks at Steve as his head rests against the back of the chair, his eyes pleading with her. "I vowed I would never look for him, for his own protection. It's the only way I can still be his mother. He doesn't even know me. You have to believe me." She's all but begging him.

He looks in her eyes and can't tell if she's lying or not. "Oh, you are good. You spent five years lying to me. To my face and in my bed. I know how good you are and I don't believe a word you say. He is the most important thing in the world to you and I know you would die before telling me where he is. But, would you allow someone else to die to protect that secret? Huh?" He glances back to Steve, who's breathing heavy and grimacing in pain. "Would you allow HIM to die to protect your son? Would you be the cause of his death to protect your son?"

"Don't listen to him, Maggie." Steve grunts out between gasps. "She doesn't know, asswad."

"Well, well, the boss man speaks up. How would you know? I'm sure there's plenty you don't know about this woman. I let her into my home and my bed for five years and she was lying to me the entire time. You can't believe anything she says, Commander. She is an experienced liar and a fantastic actress. If you believe her, you are not the man I thought you were."

"I know as much as I need to. I believe her when she says she doesn't know where her son is. His safety is most important to her. She wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his life."

Doherty walks over to Steve, shaking his head. "Oh, my dear boy, she has you under her spell, doesn't she? Have you slept with her yet? Has she brought you fully into her web?" He laughs, looking back at her. "I gotta tell you, **Maggie** , remembering what you can do in bed got me through a lot of rough nights in prison." He leans over Steve, "She is incredible in the sheets. I'm sure she's just perfected her technique over the years with all the other marks she's slept with. Oh, I know all about her career. I've met a few of the others in prison and we had some very stimulating conversations."

"Shut up, you pig." Steve growls.

Doherty studies the SEAL's face, trying to read him. "Oh, I see. You HAVEN'T slept with her…yet. I'm sure it's just a matter of time." He backhands Steve across the face. "She's just biding her time until she feels its right and then she will pounce like a tiger after her prey. That's just who she is."

"You don't know her. That's not who she is now."

"You are more naïve than I thought, Commander. She's had you completely snowed." He chuckles, motioning to Edward. Doherty walks over to Maggie, pulling the gun out of the back of his waistband. Watching Edward and another associate, they move to each side of Steve and reach down to loosen the bonds on his arms and legs. Doherty holds the gun to Maggie's head, "if you even think about trying anything, I put a bullet in her head, Commander. Got that?" He puts the muzzle tight against her head. Steve looks directly in her eyes and sees the slight shaking of her head. He capitulates and lets the two thugs manhandle him. Tying his hands together with the thick rope, Edward reaches over his head and pulls down a large meat hook. Putting it through the ropes, the other one hit the button and the hook moves up until Steve's feet are barely touching the ground.

He'd noticed the hook when he first awoke so he was expecting this. It seems to be a favorite of those wanting information. As often as he remembers being in this position, this time was different for two reasons: one, his left shoulder was injured in the accident so he was feeling a great deal of pain from that and two, there was someone else involved that he had to protect with everything he has. He cannot allow her to be hurt any more than she already is, even if it means his demise. So, he's willing to go through whatever this jackass has planned.

"There we are. Comfortable?" He puts the gun back in his waistband and walks over to Steve. "If she wants you to live, Commander, she better tell me what I want to know. I can't believe she's been here over four months and hasn't tried to find him. She's been out of undercover work for that long and has no inclination to find her only son? No, I don't believe that." He walks over to a table and grabs the cat o'nine tails sitting there. Swinging it around a couple times to test it, he quickly hits Steve across his back. The straps had small pieces of glass imbedded on the ends and they leave several lines of blood across his muscular back. Steve makes not a sound. "Trying to be brave, Commander?" He shakes his head and whips them over his stomach. Maggie sees the lines of blood immediately as he grimaces in pain.

"Stop it! He doesn't know anything and neither do I!" She screams at him. She gasps as the pain shoots through her head and down her spine again. Closing her eyes for a moment, she hears Steve's sharp intake of breath as Doherty hits him again. Snapping her eyes open, she sees the tears on his pants and small areas of blood seep through the fabric. Doherty continues this torture until Steve finally can't hold it in and yells out in pain. Maggie's breath catches in her throat when she hears this and a small sob escapes. "I'm so sorry, Steve." She whispers. Doherty throws the whip aside and stands looking at his prisoner. Walking around him, he takes in the form hanging before him.

"You are in very good shape, Commander. I must say. She's picked a good one this time. I may enjoy this more than I thought when I came up with this plan. It's just a shame neither of you will be walking out of here when we're done."

"Please. Let him be. I don't know where Kyle is and neither does he."

"Well, if you don't, then you can find out."

"It doesn't work that way, Ian. I can't just call someone up and ask where my son is. If he is still in the program, no one is going to tell me."

He looks over at her and then back at Steve as he swings from the hook. Walking over to the table, he picks a rag up from a bowl full of water, wrings it out and picks up another bowl filled with a white, grainy substance. Standing in front of Steve, he dips the rag into the bowl, coating it in the white crystals. "What're you doing?" She asks, fear and revulsion in her eyes.

"You've heard of putting salt in the wound? Well, guess what?" He says as he presses the rag against the still oozing branding in Steve's side. Grinding the rag into the wound, he smiles as he hears the grunts of pain as it shows on his face. "Feel good, Commander?" He pulls the rag away, coats the damp rag again and runs it along all the cuts from the whip. Steve groans, unable to hold it in as the salt dissolves into the wounds. Throwing the rag on the ground, Doherty grabs a handful of the salt, moves around to his back and rubs it brutally into the still bleeding cuts all over his back. Steve screams out, arching his back, trying to get away from Doherty's hand. "Don't like that? Oh, my, I'm so sorry but I'm just gonna have to keep at it until your girl over there tells me what I want to know." He grabs another handful and grinds it into any open wound he can find.

Maggie closes her eyes to keep from watching the pain he's inflicting on Steve. She had caught the slight shake of his head as Doherty first made his way over with the rag. She feels such despair at not being able to help him. She does not have any idea where her son is. But she had to do something to get Doherty to stop. Closing her eyes, she can't keep the pain away as it invades her head through her ears and she grimaces as she hears his screams. "STOP!" She screams. "Leave him alone, you prick! He's done nothing to you. If you need to punish someone, punish me!" She whimpers.

"Don't worry, I'll get to you soon enough." He grins as he goes back to the table. Perusing the items on it, he looks in the corner of the room and smiles. Walking over, he picks up the industrial hose and turns on the faucet to which it's attached. Watching the water flow out, he turns to Steve and sprays him, concentrating on his face and head.

"Stop it. You're gonna drown him!" Maggie screams, straining against her bonds. Her desire to get to him and stop Doherty overpowers the pain shooting through her entire body. "Dammit, Ian, stop!" She watches as he moves the water from Steve's head to his feet and back up again, barely giving him any time to catch his breath. Steve struggles to get any amount of air into his lungs, sputtering and spitting, jerking around on the end of the hook.

"Having a hard time breathing, Commander? Feel like you're gonna drown? Well, this can stop if she would just tell me what I want to know." He glares at Maggie, pointing the hose directly at Steve's face.

She hears him gasp and groan, his head thrashing about, trying to keep the water out and get precious oxygen in. "God dammit, how many times to I have to tell you, I don't know! You have to believe me." She cries, tears running down her face. "Just please, stop." Her voice cracks and she starts to sob.

He nods to Edward, who turns off the water. "I'll stop when I believe you're telling me the truth." He takes the head of the hose and shoves it in the waistband of Steve's pants.

Breathing hard, Steve looks him in the eye, "Well, I guess I'm gonna have to hold my breath cause we're gonna be here for a long time." Doherty backhands him, splitting Steve's bottom lip. Maggie watches as the blood flows down his chin and drips on the floor. "Still gonna be here a long time." He mumbles out.

Doherty's patience gives a little and he attacks Steve as if he's in training, using him as a punching bag. Maggie can hear the grunts and groans with every hit and can't stop the tears.

_He shouldn't be here. He has nothing to do with this. He shouldn't be in all this pain cause of me! Doherty's my problem. But how do I stop him? He doesn't believe me and he'll kill Steve before he does stop. I can't allow that. Maybe…._

"Ian, stop. Please!" She screams at him. "Fine." She murmurs.

Doherty stops for a moment, staring into her eyes. "Oh, my dear, if you even think about lying to me to get me to stop, think again. Whatever you tell me will be verified and if it is a lie, the two of you will die slow, painful deaths. I will lock you in this room to bleed out, starve or dehydrate, whichever comes first. If I get the truth, you go quickly. I'll bring this entire building down on both of you and you won't feel a thing."

"Either way, we die. Why tell you anything?" Steve grunts out between breaths.

Doherty walks back over to him. "Maybe cause you want to do the right thing and not allow someone you care about suffer? Allow their death to mean something instead of a shallow effort?"

"By handing over a young man so you can kill him? Not gonna happen." Steve grimaces with the effort of speaking.

Doherty, his patience wearing thin again, he walks back over to the table, grabs the cattle prod and turns to Steve. Nodding to Edward, he pulls the hose out of Steve pants, hands it to Edward and waits while he turns the water back on. Grinning evilly, he turns on the prod and hits Steve in the abdomen.

Maggie screams out, trying to get him to stop. She knows with the addition of the water, the pain must be unbearable and the sounds coming from Steve confirm it. She squeezes her eyes closed again, trying to unsee what she's seen.

After beating and shocking Steve for more than an hour, Doherty is completely frustrated. Neither is giving in and he is getting no information.

She opens her eyes, having closed them to keep the visual memories out, and watches Doherty. His frustration is evident as he throws the cattle prod across the room. Standing, visibly shaking, he suddenly reaches out, grabs the gun sitting on the table turns, places it against Steve's right knee and pulls the trigger. She could hear the different sound the gun made and understood it was modified for this specific purpose. The sound that comes out of Steve's mouth is inhuman and she wishes she could block it all out; she will hear and see it forever. Screaming at Doherty, she begs him to stop.

"Stop it, Ian, please?!" He looks over at her, cocking his head to the side. Looking back at the body hanging from the hook, he smiles as he notices Steve breathing heavy and trying to hold in the pain.

"Holy Fuck! I think I may have it all wrong. You are telling the truth, Maggie. You don't know anything about your son." He turns to Steve, "but I am sure that he does." He reaches down and grabs the injured knee, pressing on the wound. Steve lets out another inhuman howl and tries to twist out of Doherty's grasp. Not letting go, he squeezes the knee tighter wanting the SEAL to experience as much pain as possible. Maggie closes her eyes again, shaking her head and a tear falling as she suddenly hears the scream stop. Snapping open her eyes, she sees Doherty wiping his hand off, looking at Steve as if he'd never seen him before. Moving her eyes to Steve, she sees that he has blessedly passed out. "You are wrong, Ian. He knows nothing."

He glares at her. "You are still so naive in some ways, my dear Maggie. Of course he knows. By his reputation, he knows everything about the people he works with and since you told him about your son, I can guarantee you he went looking."

"No. I specifically asked him not to look for Kyle. I didn't want anything out there to jeopardize his safety."

"And you think that will stop him? Please," he chuckles, "his type never changes. He needs to know everything and nothing will stop him."

She shakes her head, regretting the movement as soon as she makes it. "No. He wouldn't do that. Not where someone's safety is at stake."

Doherty just smiles evilly at her. "Well, why don't we just find out, shall we?"

"He's not gonna give you any info. You know enough about him to know he's been trained for this. Even if he did know, which I'm sure he doesn't, you won't be able to get it out of him." She gives him a defiant glare.

He walks over to her, towering over her head. "Oh, I know that, precious. He's not gonna break by threatening his life and limb." He reaches down and grabs her under her chin. "But how do you think he'll react if I threaten yours?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Steve remain quiet? Has he found Maggie's son? More to come...


	4. Doherty:  Unstoppable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The torture continues with Maggie on the receiving end...

** Doherty: Unstoppable **

****.

Her eyes get big, "What do you mean?" She sees his slight nod and Edward and another thug come over to her.

"Untie her and stand her up." He turns to the one other crew member in the room. "Get him down from there and put here." He points the chair Maggie is currently in. She struggles to get away but between the head injury and the two strong crew holding her tight, her attempt was almost comical. Seeing them starting to tie her hands in front of her, Doherty shakes his head. "No, behind her back." He instructs them. Dragging her over to the hook, they hold her there while Steve is dropped to the floor and hauled over to the chair Maggie has just vacated.

He's forced into the chair, legs tied loosely to the chair legs and a rope tied around his chest and arms, just above the elbows. Doherty walks over to her, grabs the hook and slides it into the ropes on her wrists. Signaling to Edward to tighten the chain holding the hook, her arms are pulled slightly up behind her back and she groans, as the pull on her shoulders is immense already. She's bending forward at the waist to try to lessen the pressure but it doesn't help much.

Doherty moves to stand in front of her, her head at his waist. He chuckles, "well, well, isn't this a familiar position." He snatches her by her hair and pulls her head up to look him in the eye. "What fun we could have right now." His free hand moves to his belt buckle as her eyes open wide. She tries to twist her head out of his grasp, forcing him to tighten his hold.

"Boss," Edward nods over to Steve.

Doherty turns, releasing her head. He walks over to Steve, who's waking slowly, his groans soft and full of pain.

"Welcome back, Commander. How ya feeling?" He chuckles, pulling Steve's head up by his hair.

Steve groans in pain as his head is yanked up and swallows hard to keep his stomach from revolting. "Better than you will be." He grumbles out, barely able to see out of bruised and swollen eyes.

"I love how you are still confident you're going to get out of this alive. You never give up, do you?"

"Never." Steve growls.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear you say that, Commander. You've just proven to me what I've been thinking since you passed out. Your tenacity tells me that, no matter what Maggie's told you, you went ahead and found her son. You know where he is and you ARE going to tell me." He steps back and out of Steve's view.

As soon as he sees Maggie hanging from that hook, he gets a hit of adrenalin and almost gets out of his bindings. Doherty moves quickly behind him, pulling on the rope around his chest, tightening it. Steve screams out, partially in pain and partially in grief at seeing Maggie hanging from the hook. Doherty moves back in front of Steve, bending over to look him straight in the eyes. "All you have to do is tell me where Kyle is and she comes down from there and your deaths will be quick."

Steve bares his teeth, hissing at Doherty. "How many times do I have to tell you, I don't know."

"Oh, my dear Steve, I just can't believe that. You don't give up and when presented with challenge, you never turn that down. When she told you that she had a son, I guarantee you you're first thought was 'Where is he?' After that, you couldn't let it go and had to find out where he is. I know you have all kinds of contacts in the WITSEC program so I'm sure it was easy for you to get that info. I also know you've been well trained by the Navy to resist torture and interrogation techniques so I'm going to change things up a bit." He moves back toward Maggie, picking up a boning knife off the table. Holding it up for Steve to see, he smiles as he turns to her. "Are you willing to put her life on the line just to protect someone you've never even met?"

"You're gonna kill us anyway, Ian, so what does it matter?" Maggie hisses out at him, trying to look back at him.

"Oh, but it's all about how you're gonna die. I have a hard time believing this man over there wants to sit there and watch as you bleed out, screaming in constant pain. I have a hard time believing you want him to sit there and watch as the life leaves your body. I get what I want and you both go quickly, not having to watch the other die. I can be that merciful."

She laughs bitterly at him. "Merciful? Oh, please, Ian. You've never shown mercy in your entire life. Remember, I lived with you for almost 5 years. I know how you treated people, especially me, who you said you loved. You don't know the meaning of the word."

"Maggie, shut up!" Steve spits out at her. "Stop it."

Doherty looks at him, realizing what she's trying to do. _These two are two-of-a-kind. Both wiling to sacrifice themselves for the other. She is not the woman I knew twenty years ago. So different, so mature, so self-sacrificing. I could actually find myself liking her if not for the fact that she put me in prison for the last twenty years._ "No, don't stop. She's right, Commander. I've never shown any mercy in my life. Why start now?" He slices at her, drawing blood from her forearm. He hears Steve scream at him, begging him to leave her alone. "Oh, don't worry. It's not deep, but just enough to sting and bleed. And we both know by cutting on the vertical of the arm instead of the horizontal, it takes so much longer to clot. As long as I don't hit a major artery or vein, she'll last a long time." He moves to her other side, swiping at her other arm. He gets no more than a grunt out of her but another scream out of her partner.

He looks at Edward, nodding toward the ceiling. Edward moves to the controls and the hook raises another foot. This causes Maggie to yell out as the pressure on her shoulders increases as they start to slowly move out of the socket. He looks at Steve as she yells, his face showing an animal urge to kill. He knows if Steve gets free while he's still in this room, only a bullet in his brain will stop him from killing. "Can you imagine the pain she's feeling as her shoulders slowly move out of their sockets. I know you know how painful a dislocated shoulder is but it usually happens quickly. She's experiencing all that, but in a slow, calculated manner and the pain doesn't stop. I'm sure you're familiar with this technique, reverse hanging. One of the many stress positions." He nods to Edward, who raises the hook another foot. Maggie screams out as her arms are lifted up behind her, now at a one hundred-twenty degree angle from her back.

"Dammit, Doherty, stop. I don't know where he is."

"I just don't believe you. It would be completely out of character for you to not have searched for him. I just can't believe you." He reaches out and backhands her across the face. "Shut the hell up, Maggie. I've had enough of your screaming to last me a lifetime."

Her head reels back from the hard hit, blood dripping from her mouth. "Fuck you, Ian." She mumbles, spitting blood out onto the floor. Anger rising, he moves to her, bringing his knee up into her mid-section and his elbow down on her back, putting more strain on her shoulders. Not able to control himself again, he hits a few times across the face, another knee in her gut and finally kicks her legs out from under her putting all her weight on the hook and pulling her arms up tight. The last move is more than she can handle and her ear-piercing scream is cut short as consciousness leaves her. Taking in a deep breath, Doherty looks over at Steve who is straining against his bonds, trying to get to her side. He looks up as her scream is cut off, fearing Doherty had killed her and sees her body swinging from the ropes, her arms in an unnatural position up behind her head, her shoulders obviously pulled completely out of their sockets.

"No, Maggie," he croaks out, his voice leaving him. Glaring at Doherty, he opens his mouth to speak but is cut off.

"Don't even say it, McGarrett. You're gonna kill me. Oooooo, I'm so scared. You can't even get out of that chair. Now, just tell me what you know and I'll kill her before she wakes up." He moves with a couple feet of Steve. "She doesn't have to be in any more pain. You can keep that from happening by just telling me what I want to know."

"I can't tell you what I don't know. I have no idea where her son is."

Doherty stands, motioning to Edward. Pulling out the hose, he turns it on and hits Maggie right in the face. The cold water brings her around almost immediately and for just a moment, Steve thinks maybe she's not in much pain. Not so. A wail leaves her body that sounds unreal; not human. He's not sure what it sounds like but it rips through his soul leaving it torn in two. Her wailing doesn't stop as Doherty walks back over, takes hold of her hair and pulls her head up so she's looking in his eyes. Shaking his head, he drops hers as he motions to Edward to hoist her up. Another unearthly sound leaves her as she's raised up so her toes are just barely touching the ground. Now all of her weight is on the severely damaged shoulders and she can't stop the sound from leaving her body.

Walking over to another table, Doherty picks up a bottle of water and takes a long, slow drink. He stops when her voice finally gives out and she can't scream anymore. "Finally. I didn't think she was ever going to shut up." Turning to Steve, "now, where were we?" He walks back over.

"Obviously you are not the man I thought you were. Allowing her to go through so much pain. Not very chivalrous at all." He gives Steve a few tsk- tsk's. "Still not going to tell me ANYTHING? Damn! I am so over the two of your right now. We have been at this for hours and the only thing I've learned is that the two of you are stubborn son's-of-bitches!"

He walks over, grabs Steve's left arm, twists it away from the arm of the chair and brings his other elbow down…hard. The resounding crack of bone he hears and the subsequent grunt from Steve's mouth gives him a warm fuzzy feeling all over and he steps back. The veins on Steve's head and neck are protruding and pulsing as he tries to control himself from screaming out.

"Tell me what I want to know." Doherty demands one more time. "I'm not going to ask again. If you don't tell me what I want, I'm going to give her a couple of long cuts in strategic places that will allow her to bleed out without clotting in a manner of hours. It will be painful and slow and you will have to sit here and watch her die. Once that is done, I will do the same to you, leave this building and still bring it down on the two of you where it will take weeks for anyone to find your bodies." Getting no response from the former Navy SEAL, he walks back over to Maggie, picking up the boning knife again and slices across her right thigh. Her voice long gone, all she can do is grunt and scream in silence.

"Stop! Fine. I'm so sorry, Maggie. I know you asked me to leave it alone, but he's right. I couldn't. I reached out to my contacts in WITSEC and had the information in a matter of days. They gave it to me on a flash drive that's sitting in my safe in my office." He sees the look of betrayal on her face and he wants to go back and change things. "I've not looked at it. I have no idea what information is on there…but it's there. I swear, Doherty, I have never looked at the files. I received it and it went straight into the safe. I realized I should've never asked for it, possibly putting Kyle in danger, but it was too late. The least I could do is not look at it so I wouldn't have to lie if ever asked." His eyes plead with her to forgive him.

"Are you fucking serious, McGarrett? You expect me to believe that you have the information and you never once looked at it? Not once? Never even connected it to your computer and downloaded it?" He looks back and forth from one to the other. "No, I can't believe that."

"It's true. It went right into the safe and has been there ever since." He shifts against the ropes around him and feels them give a little.

Rage taking over, Doherty storms from the room, not ready to kill the two of them just yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Too much? Have I gone too far? Don't worry, the end is near. But exactly what will be the end?


	5. Doherty:  Chasing Tails

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is the rest of the team doing? Do they even realize Steve and Maggie are missing? What happens when they do?

** Doherty:  Chasing Tails **

            Danny walks around the crime scene one more time.  He’s been pacing around it for the last 30 minutes waiting for Steve and Maggie to arrive.  “Where are they, Chin?  They should be here by now.  Any luck reaching either of them?”

            “Sorry, brah.  Rings and then goes to voicemail.  For both.” 

            “Makes no sense.  Kono!”  Danny yells for her.

            “What’s up?”  She walks over. 

            “Do me a favor.  Activate the GPS on both the SS and the truck.  Let me know where they are.”

  
            She nods, moving to her car to pull out her laptop. 

            “Got a bad feeling about this, Chin.  A bad feeling.” 

            Chin nods, looking back at the scene.  “This really can be handled by HPD.  Not sure why we were even called.” 

            Before Danny can answer, “Danny, got something!”  Kono yells out at him. 

            He runs over to her car, Chin right on his heels.  “What?  You find them?”

            “Yeah.  The SS is at Maggie’s.  Hasn’t moved.”  She points to the map. 

            “What about Steve’s truck?”

            “That’s where things get weird.  GPS puts it off the road on the way here.”

            “What do you mean, ‘off the road’?”

            “Off the road.  See here?  Here’s the road.  The GPS puts the truck here.”  She marks a point off the road.  “Almost as if it’s in the forest or down the hill.”

            “Shit.  Let’s go.  It’s not far.”  Danny runs back to his car.  Chin barely makes it in the passenger seat before it’s moving at a high rate of speed. 

            They pull up at the coordinates Kono sent them and immediately sees where the truck went off the road.  Stopping on the other side of the road, before he can even get out of the car, Chin is already grabbing equipment from the trunk.  Closing the door, the turns to the trunk.  “What are you doing?” 

            Chin peers around the trunk lid, “I’m gonna go find the truck and see if they are okay.”  He closes the trunk, repelling gear in his hand.  “They might be hurt, Danny.  That’s why neither are answering their phones.”  He heads across the road, tying off to a large tree still standing.  Danny watches as he goes over the edge, following the path the truck made as it barreled down the embankment. 

            “Careful, Chin.”  Danny yells after him.  He starts walking around the scene, something not sitting right.  He notices tire tracks parallel to the road, over the trucks tracks, pulled right up to the embankments edge.  Crouching down, he sees the deeper treads where it seems the vehicle stopped.  Standing again, making sure not to step in the tracks, he looks around again, now noticing no skid marks on the road.  Glancing over the edge, he jumps as his phone buzzes.  “Chin?”

            “They’re not here, Danny.”

            “What do you mean?  They have to be.”

            “Nothing, brah.  The truck in on its side; the windshield is smashed out; there’s blood in the truck, on the steering wheel and seats but no Steve or Maggie.”

            “Maybe they set off, trying to find help?”  His senses are tingling.  _This is so wrong!_

            “I’m not seeing any footprints leaving the area, but there do seem to be several different prints around the truck.  At least three, maybe four different sets.  Maybe they’re on their way to the hospital?  Maybe help was here?”

            Danny shakes his head, “No, something’s not right, Chin.  If that was the case, why not call us?  I know they might not recognize Maggie, but they would certainly know Steve.  No, I’m not liking this.”  He pulls the phone away and conferences Kono in.  “Kono, we found the truck but Steve and Maggie aren’t here.  Check all hospitals and clinics to see if they’ve been brought in.  Lou?  You there?”

            “Right here, buddy.”

            “Get CSU over here ASAP.”

            “Danny, they’re working this case.”

            “I don’t care, Lou.  I have a bad feeling about this.  Kono’s not gonna find them, but I wanna cover all bases.”

            “I’ll see what I can do.”

            “No.  No try, Lou.  Get them over here.  If you have to call in anyone off today, do it.  Be sure to get Eric over here.”

            “Hey, Danny, I just scanned all the hospital intake records for the last hour.”  Kono interrupts. 

            “And?”

            “Nothing.  No one even resembling Steve or Maggie have been brought in.  Sorry.”

            “Not your fault.  It was a stretch.  Get them over here now, Lou!  I’m liking this less and less.”  He turns back to the edge.  “Chin, work the truck until CSU gets there.”

            “What are you thinking, Danny?”

            “I think they’ve been taken.  It’s the only explanation.”

            “Seriously?”  Lou says.

            “Yeah.  Until proven different, we work it that way.  Lou, you and Kono get over here.  HPD can handle that scene.  This one is priority.”  He hangs up, walking the side of the road again.  Not wanting to lose anything, he starts snapping pictures of the tire marks and treads.  Also takes ones of the road showing no skid marks.  He carefully walks the shoulder in a grid pattern, looking for anything else out of context.

            Minutes later he hears the roar of vehicles and they arrive.  Soon, a cordon is set up, blocking off the section of the shoulder around where the truck went off the road.  Danny, Lou and Kono are going over what he’s found when Chin comes up behind them. 

            “I think you’re right, Danny.”  He says.

            “What did you find?”

            Chin holds up an evidence bag with a cylinder in it, about six inches long and three in diameter.  “Found this in the engine, hooked up to the air flow system.  Looks like it was rigged by remote to send some type of gas into the truck.  Most likely some kind of sleeping gas.”

            “Have it tested, Chin.  That’s it.  This is no longer an accident.  This was planned.  They’ve been taken.  This takes priority over any other case.”

            “Okay, Danny, but if this was planned, how did they know Steve and Maggie would be here?  I mean, it’s not exactly on their everyday route.”

            Danny look around, trying to figure it out.  “Wait…wait a minute.  What if these two are related?”

            “What the hell you talking bout?”

            “Think about it, Lou.  This is the only road leading up to the other crime scene.  There’s not a lot of traffic so it would be easy to get them out of here without anyone seeing.  Everyone knows the two of them would be travelling together.  Would it be a stretch, if wanting to abduct them, to stage a murder scene?  Some way of making sure where they’re gonna be at a specific time?”

            “You really think so?”  Kono asks.

            “I don’t know, but we can’t rule out anything.  If the two are connected, we have a clever criminal here and our work cut out for us.”  He shakes his head.  “Kono, go back over to the other crime scene.  With this possibility, work it from this angle.  It could just be bait to get them out here.” 

            She nods, grabbing her laptop and heading for her car. 

            “Lou, where’s Eric?” 

            Lou points.  Danny turns to see his nephew walking over, kit in hand.  “Eric, I need you to find out what kind of vehicle these tracks belong to.  We need to know what type they were probably taken away in.”

            Eric nods, “You got it, Uncle D.” 

            Danny looks at him, but lets it pass. 

            “What are you thinking, Danny?”  Chin asks. 

            “Well, there may not be any cameras up here, but there are coming and going.  If we can determine the type of vehicle, maybe we can spot it on the traffic cams on each end.  I know, I know, it’s a long shot, but right now, it’s the only option we have.  We can have Jerry start on it as soon as we know the make and model of vehicle.”

            “Danny, brah, that’s gonna take forever.”

            “You have any better ideas?  We have HPD trying to track down any possible witnesses.  Aside from finding someone who saw anything, this is all we’ve got.”

            Chin looks from Lou to Danny and nods.  Right now, it’s the only option they have.    


	6. Doherty:  Bringing Down The House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Doherty gets what he wants?

Doherty: Bringing Down the House

            Steve looks at Maggie for any signs of life.  She’s hanging lifeless from the hook.  He knows the amount of pain she felt when they pulled her all the way off the floor, her toes barely touching the ground.  He’s dislocated both shoulders, but never at the same time and always quickly, from some type of fight or accident.  He can see the stress on her shoulders as they continue to pull away from her body.  He knows if she hangs there for much longer, she’ll have permanent damage and possibly never have full function of her arms.  Fighting against the ropes, despite the pain and tearing of his own injuries, he can feel them loosening.  Doherty just better hope he doesn’t get loose while he’s in this room.  “Maggie?  Can you hear me?”  He yells at her hoping to get some kind of reaction.  “Come on, Maggie.  Let me know you can hear me!”  Nothing.  He continues to struggle against the ropes, feeling them loosen with each movement.  Looking up at the sound, he sees the door open, Doherty walks in followed by two of his crew carrying a large metal object.  Steve can’t quite make out what it is until its right in front of him and he can see the timer.  “What the hell?” 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

            Danny turns as he hears his name.  “Got something for ya, Uncle Danny.”  Eric walks to him. 

            “What?”

            “Matched those tracks.  Late model van, E250 most likely.”  He pulls up graphics on his tablet.  “I’ve checked and there are about 200 registered on the island.  Most of those are fleet or commercial.  Should be easy to track.”

            “What about the ones left?”  Danny grabs the tablet.

            “Fifty non-commercial.  Ten of those are sitting in a junkyard.  That leaves forty out there.  Either personal or rental.”

            “Check the rentals first.  Find all of them.  If they are all accounted for, then move to the personal.  I want that vehicle found!”  He all but throws the device back. 

            “Uh, you got it.”  Eric walks away, shaking his head. 

            “Give the kid a break, Danny.”  Lou says from behind him.  “He’s doing a great job.”

            Danny hangs his head.  “I know that, Lou.  I don’t know what else to do.  We got squat here.  I’m grasping at straws to find these two.  I just have a bad feeling about this.”  He leans against the cruiser. 

            “I know, buddy.  We’ll find ‘em.  Don’t worry.  No one’s giving up till we find ‘em.” 

            Minutes turn into an hour as they wait for the forensics to give them any kind of clue. 

            Eric comes running up to them, a smile on his face.  “Uncle D, I narrowed down the possibilities to five.  I accounted for the personal ones and all but five of the rentals.”  He taps the tablet and Danny’s phone buzzes.  “Just sent you those five.  I hope that helps.” 

            Danny looks at his phone and then back at Eric.  “Thanks.  It helps.  Gives us an idea of what to look for.”  He smiles.  Eric nods at him and turns back to his truck.  “And don’t call me Uncle D.” 

            Eric nods, putting his hand up in the air to say, ‘I got it.’ 

            Danny turns to the others.  “Ok, guys, listen.  Lou, you and Kono stay here in case we get any more info.  Chin, you and I are gonna head back to HQ, give these five to Jerry and see what we can do to find them.”

            They all nod, Danny and Chin heading back across the highway to the Camaro.  Getting in, Danny sits for a minute, breathing hard. 

            “You okay, brah?”  Chin asks him after a few minutes.

            Danny breathes hard, sighing loudly.  “No.  Not really.  This feeling’s not going away, Chin.  They are not gonna be okay.  I know it.”

            “Hey, we’ll find them, Danny.”

            “I know.  I just don’t know if that’ll be alive or dead.”  He puts the car in gear and heads back to HQ.

>>>>>>>>>

            Doherty laughs, “Oh, my dear Steve, I said the two of you weren’t walking out of here.  This is one of three I’m leaving here in the building.  They’ll be looking for your bodies for days.  Now that I know where to find the information, I thank you Steve.  I just need to find a way to get it.  Shouldn’t be too hard in the next few days as your team will be busy trying to find your bodies.”  He walks over to the device, which is now sitting on the floor between Steve and Maggie.  He slides the cover of the keypad over, punches in a couple numbers and closes it back up.  “You got one hour to say your goodbyes.”  He slides a knife out of a unique sheath and walks over to Maggie.  “One last thing.”  He shoves the knife in her abdomen, pushing it in to the hilt. 

            “What the fuck?!”  Steve screams out, his fear apparent.  She makes neither sound nor movement. 

            “Oh, I’m sure that within the next twenty minutes, gravity will play its part and this knife will slide out and then she will proceed to bleed out.  You will get to sit there and watch her die before you’re blown to bits.”  He chuckles as he walks toward the door.  “Again, Steve, thank you for letting me know where I can find the information.  You’ve given me more than I ever hoped for.”  He motions to his 1st and 2nd and walks out the door, locking and blocking it behind him. 

            Steve looks over at her, trying to gauge if she’s still alive.  “Maggie?”  He yells.  “Come on, Maggie.  Answer me!”  He works at the ropes, gritting his teeth against the pain in his arm and chest.  Feeling the ropes give a little more, he moves his right hand against his chest and slowly moves the ropes up.  Once he gets it to his shoulder, he lowers his head underneath them and his upper body is free.  Reaching down, he’s able to undo the loose ones on his right leg and then, with difficulty and a great deal of pain, he loosens his left leg.  Holding his left arm against his body, he slowly stands and stumbles over to her.  Glancing at the device to his right, he sees forty seven minutes and change and he tries to move faster.  Reaching her, he feels her neck and let’s out the breath he was holding as he feels a weak, but steady pulse.  Limping over to the wall, he hits the button to let her down.  Unable to control the descent, he winces as she lands on the ground.  Moving back over to her, he unties her arms and, being as gentle as he can, moves them back around to her front and crosses them over her chest.  Making sure the knife is still in, in effect staunching, the blood flow; he feels a fresh flow of blood down his lower leg.  Groaning out as he grabs a rag off the floor, he clumsily wraps it around his knee and ties it tightly.  Looking around, he realizes what he has to do.  Moving as quickly as he can, he moves the solid wooden tables to the far corner, placing one on its side and the other over it, creating a small, protected area.  Grabbing the rope that was around her wrists, he weaves it under her arms, tying it off and wrapping it around his good arm.  Knowing he may be doing more damage, he tries to be gentle as he pulls her across the floor to the tables.  Making sure she’s still breathing and her heart is still beating, he takes a moment to catch his breath as the next thing he has to do is going to take every bit of energy he has.  Slipping the rope from around her, he loops it around his broken arm and then around his body.  A loud groan slips out as he tightens it to keep the arm from moving too much.  Limping back over to the chair, he picks up the rope, moves to the bomb and, after a few tries, he gets it tied around it.  Draping the trailing end over his good shoulder, he grunts as he drags it to the opposite side of the room. 

            Breathing heavily, with sweat running down his face, running into every cut on his body, he leans against the wall and looks at the clock.  _Twelve minutes, twenty-two seconds!  Fuck!_ He looks at the other side of the room and wonders if he can make it back over there.  Right now, it seems as if its miles away. 

            He hears banging on the door, “Steve!  Maggie!”  He hears from the other side of the door. 

            “Chin?”  He yells as loud as he can.

            “Steve?  You okay?”  He hears more banging against the door.  _Nine minutes, ten seconds.  Shit!_

            “Chin, get out of here!  This building is set to blow in less than nine minutes!  Get everybody out!” 

            “No, Steve, we can get this open!”  The banging continues. 

            “Dammit, Chin, get out!  The door is re-enforced steel, at least four inches thick.  You won’t get through it in time.  Please, Chin, get everyone out to a safe distance.”  Steve pleads. 

            “NO!  The bomb squad is here.  We can get in and defuse it.”

            Steve squeezes his eyes tight.  “Get out, Chin!  That’s an order.  You only have seven minutes to get everyone out.  Do it now!”  He almost slides down the wall at that point, having used almost all his reserves.  Knowing he will never get back up if he goes down, he locks his good knee and takes a deep breath.  He hears orders being given on the other side of the door.  Taking a deep breath, at least he knows the rest of his team is going to be okay.  He has no idea how they found the two of them, but he needs to let Chin know not to leave HQ empty.  Doherty will try to find a way in. 

            “Chin!”  He yells out. 

            “Everyone’s getting out Steve.  As soon as it’s safe, we’ll be back in for you.  You have anywhere you can try to cover yourself?”

            Steve looks at the poor excuse for a shelter, though the tables are heavy, solid wood.  “Done what I can.  Listen, Chin, don’t let HQ sit empty.  Make sure there’s someone there at all times.  You hear me?”  Steve pounds on the door.  “Chin?”  Silence.  Glancing down, he sees the timer at less than five minutes.  Taking a deep breath, he does what he can to cover the bomb and deflect the blast away from him and Maggie.  It’s weak, but any little can help.  By the time he feels it’s the best he can do, He looks at the timer.  Less than two minutes.  Calling on the last of his reserves, he stumbles, almost falling to his knees twice, over to the opposite corner and finally allows himself to drop to the floor.  Crawling under the tables, he checks her again, feeling a weak, thready pulse and short, panting breaths, but alive.  Calculating they only have a few seconds left, he carefully places his body over hers, his mouth next to her ear, “I’m so sorry, Maggie.  I shouldn’t have followed up on Kyle.  Now I’ve put him in danger.  If Doherty gets his hands on that flash drive, I’ve killed your son.  I never meant to hurt him…or you.”  He whispers as he feels the first of the bombs go off in another part of the building.  Seconds later, he feels the pressure from the one in the room as it tears through the walls, ceiling, and the tables surrounding them.  The last thing he does is pull her close, trying to protect her as several pieces of concrete fall on top of him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long time between chapters. RL has been bad for the last few months. Hopefully I will be able to get the next few chapters up in reasonable time. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me. I appreciate it. Any comments welcome. They certainly help the muse.


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